He was the biggest of big stars for the Super Bowl-Shuffling Chicago Bears. So you’d think it would have been difficult for William Perry to leave it all behind. Nope. He's a brick-layin’, bass-hookin’ picture of contentment

Webb Feat Dominating the field in a Tiger-like fashion, Karrie Webb won her third major at the women's U.S. Open

For four hours, anyway, Karrie Webb had the stage to herself. Atthe very moment Tiger Woods was slipping off the 18th green atSt. Andrews to sign his historic British Open scorecard, Webb waswalking to the 1st tee of an eight-year-old golf course built ona former cattle ranch on the outskirts of suburban Chicago. Shewas hoping to make some history of her own, hoping to win herfirst U.S. Open. In the locker room at the Merit Club, a halfdozen LPGA players looked at a television, its giant screenfilled with thousands of overseas golf revelers occupying everycranny and nook around golf's most celebrated green. Thousands ofspectators were at the sprawling Merit Club, too, but there wasno frenzy. Everybody knew what Webb was about to do: firmlyestablish herself, in the words of Nancy Lopez, "as the TigerWoods of women's golf."

Their similarities are uncanny. Webb is 25 and lives in Florida.Woods is 24 and lives in Florida. Both won Rookie of the Yearawards in 1996 and Player of the Year awards in 1999. Both haveswings that are wide and powerful, rooted in classical moves bututterly modern. Both have a remarkable capacity for work and ahealthy ability to get away from the game. Both know how to peak.It's their ultimate weapon. Woods has won each of the four men'sprofessional major championships. Webb has won three of the fourfor women.

On Sunday, she won the 55th U.S. Women's Open by fiveshots--that's still considered a lot in any tournament Tiger's notentered in, by the way--over Meg Mallon and Cristie Kerr, whoturned pro at 18 and is starting to come into her own at age 22.The ability to win golf tournaments when you most want to andwhen you most need to does not fall under that vague and mushysports-speak category called "mental toughness." It involvessomething far more ancient and meaty and noble: resolve.

The week began inauspiciously for Webb. Her inaugural tee shot inThursday morning's first round was a pull-hook that finished inthe rough, 10 yards in back of a spindly tree just wide enough toblock her route to the green. In public, Webb speaks in themonotone of a shy person who does not want her emotional lifeinvaded. On the golf course, she cannot hide. As she stood overher ball, her tight lips and burning cheeks and hard practiceswings gave you a good hint at the words running through herhead: What's this damn tree doing in my way? She had to play anapproach shot to the right of the green, and from there shepitched on and two-putted for a bogey. Not the start she had inmind. But after the round, she revealed why she is a golfinggenius and why she does not need the services of a sportspsychologist. "You have to remember that you have 71 holes togo," she said. "If you lose your patience on the first hole, youmight as well go back to the clubhouse and get a flight home."

That spindly tree--someday it will assume its rightful place as afirst-hole irritant and buffer between the hole and the adjacentupscale housing development--was a reminder that Merit is not oneof the old USGA standbys, that it is not an Oakmont or aBroadmoor or a Cherry Hills. It is a sound and fair golf course,expertly conditioned, with firm fairways, fast greens and roughthat last week was penal without being unplayable. For all fourdays the tournament enjoyed the most beautiful weather you canimagine, better even than the weather in St. Andrews! What Meritlacked was charm, history, eccentricity, excitement.

Dr. Trey Holland, president of the USGA, was at the Old Coursefor the first two rounds of the British Open, flew from Glasgowto Chicago on Saturday and on Sunday was walking with the lastpairing, Webb and Mallon. He wore a white button-down USGA shirtand a navy-blue Royal & Ancient vest over it. He said only nicethings about the Merit Club--he was being both honest anddiplomatic--but acknowledged that his organization has struggledto get the great American clubs with storied courses to take thewomen's U.S. Open in the middle of summer. "It would beexciting," he said, "but it's hard to work out."

Few people thought the timing of the women's 2000 Open, oppositea British Open at St. Andrews, was ideal. It happened because theOpen needed some separation from the Advil Western Open, a PGATour stop played in early July in Lemont, Ill. Once that decisionwas made, a few TV executives came up with the theory thatcoinciding with the men's tournament would be a good thing forthe women's tour, that American TV viewers--the greatest couchpotatoes in the world--would watch the British Open in themorning, break for lunch, then watch the women in the afternoon.Interesting theory, but the numbers didn't support it. Theovernight ratings indicated that the women got no bounce from theBritish Open (SI View, page 36.)

You couldn't really engage Webb in a conversation about the venueor the timing of the event or even Tiger. She had other things onher mind, like winning. She opened with a 69, three under par andone behind Mallon, and was still a stroke behind her after bothwomen shot par in the second round. On Saturday, Webb closed thedeal, or so it seemed. She shot a businesslike 68, four underpar, without doing anything spectacular. Mallon, much beloved andbefreckled, could manage only a 73, and she trailed Webb by four.Nobody else was really in the picture.

Around the clubhouse and in the parking lot, Webb's competitorstalked about Webb in a way that brought to mind Tiger'scompetitors talking about Tiger. Mallon, winner of the 1991 U.S.Open, focused on Webb's ability to "smell blood and go in for thekill," although the numbers don't totally bear her out. Beforelast week, Webb had led 20 events going into the final round andhad won 12 of them. A good record, but nothing to make you wantto pack your bags early.

Still, Webb was praised widely, and you had the feeling theplayers, without knowing it, were trying to keep pace with thepraise Woods was receiving at St. Andrews. "She's the mostcompetitive person out here," said Beth Daniel, one of Webb'sclose friends. "If you go out to dinner, she'll try to beat youback to the hotel, like it's a race."

And then an odd thing happened on Sunday. Webb came out nervous,unsure about her club selections, tentative with her putts.Through six holes, she was one over for the day and Mallon waseven, and the margin was three strokes. On the 7th hole, adownhill, cross-breeze par-3 playing at 155 yards, Webb struggledto settle on a club, hemmed and hawed about starting a backswingand finally pulled her tee ball into the water. She made a doublebogey. Mallon made a par, and the difference was one shot.

Then came the smelling of blood and the making of a kill. Webbplayed the remaining 11 holes in nine pars and two birdies, andMallon, tripping on her balky putter, was never again in range."I had to remember," Webb said later, "that I was still leading."

She closed with a birdie, reaching the par-5 18th with twoprodigious whacks, and finished with a 73. In victory, she cried.This is known because she actually removed her wraparounds andrevealed her eyes, which were filled with life. Her winner'scheck was for $500,000. (Last year's winner, Juli Inkster, tookhome $315,000. This year she finished 23rd, closing with an 80.)

Webb's name goes on a trophy along with those of Patty Berg, BabeDidrikson Zaharias, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright, Betsy King andAnnika Sorenstam. Webb won last year's du Maurier Classic andthis year's Nabisco Championship, and now needs only theMcDonald's LPGA Championship to complete a career Grand Slam. Hervictory at the Merit Club gives her enough points to qualifyautomatically for the LPGA Hall of Fame. All she needs is therequisite number of years on tour--10. She's halfway there.Getting into the Hall of Fame has been a life's dream for Webb."Everything from now on is a bonus for me," she said.

A. Sorenstam took the prize for low Sorenstam (tied for ninth,nine strokes back of Webb but seven in front of Charlotta, whofinished 27th); Mi Hyun Kim, listed at 5'1", took the prize forlow Korean (tied for fourth, ahead of the nine other Koreans inthe field); Beth Daniel took the prize for lowfortysomething-year-old (tied for eighth, at 43); and NareeWongluekiet took the prize for low amateur and low 14-year-old(40th). Naree's twin sister, Aree, who finished tied for 10th inthe Nabisco Championship, wasn't at the Open. She was in LaJolla, Calif., winning the Junior World Championships by 10shots. You're looking for the next Tigers? They're already makingnoise. At the awards ceremony, Webb worried that she may havemispronounced the family name--she probably realizes that itwouldn't be smart to do anything to antagonize those girls.

Webb should be safe for a few years, anyway. Inkster, who is 40,has suggested to friends that she'll start cutting back herschedule next year to 15 events, about 10 fewer than she islikely to play this year. Laura Davies, who tied for ninth lastweek, and Se Ri Pak, who finished 15th, will still have theirweeks, but neither has shown herself to be in the class of Webb.Sorenstam is her main competition. She has won five times thisyear, including once in a playoff over Webb. She won twice in thetwo weeks coming into the Open but evidently peaked too early andis No. 2 on the money list again. "I gave her a pretty good run,and she's answered back," Sorenstam said on Sunday. "I need to gohome and practice a little harder."

In victory Webb showed her subtle wit and indomitablecompetitiveness, too. Late on Sunday afternoon, somebody remindedher that Woods needed six attempts to win the U.S. Open and thatWebb had needed only five. She smiled, licked her right indexfinger and made a notch mark in the air. That's how she does herbest public speaking: with actions.

In Port St. Lucie, Fla., Mickey Wright did just what the TVexecutives hoped the rest of the country would do. She watchedTiger in the morning, mesmerized, and Karrie in the afternoon,deeply impressed. Wright won four U.S. Opens, the same number asBetsy Rawls. Nobody has won more. "She could break that record,"Wright said. "From everything I've seen, she certainly could."

One down, four more to go. Things that used to seem ridiculous nolonger do. The old marks in golf are reachable again. It's abrand new day.

COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREN CARROLL SHORT-TIMER Her victory on Sunday gave Webb enough points to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame after just five years on the tour.COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREN CARROLL MEG TRYIN' Mallon led after two rounds, but she was derailed by a balky putter.COLOR PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARREN CARROLL A tangled Webb gets a helping hand after hitting out of trouble on Thursday.

In the clubhouse Webb's competitors talked about Webb in a waythat brought to mind Tiger's competitors talking about Tiger.

"Karrie's the most competitive person out here," says Daniel."If you go to dinner, she'll try to beat you back to the hotel,like it's a race."